European airlines and airports were always ahead with online check-in and now they are leading the way with mobile check-in and paperless boarding.” Apps such as FlightStats and GateGuru already guide passengers through the airport.
But new check-in apps from British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet, BMI and others mean that up to six percent of passengers check in and board via their smartphones without a paper boarding pass in sight.
The Dutch airline KLM has taken the technology even further with its Meet and Seat app, which will soon let you choose whom you sit next to based on Facebook and LinkedIn profiles of your fellow passengers.
Meanwhile, in Australia, a system built around radio-frequency ID cards allows regular Qantas passengers to enjoy a totally paperless check-in without a smartphone. - The Independent